England's Biggest Bath

Southend-on-Sea's new pool opens its gates, but only a few dare to dip

Come on in, the water's lovely! Southend's open-air pool first opened its gates in May 1915, but the warm coats and hats on show here suggest that spring hadn't quite sprung yet. Most visitors seem happy to keep their clothes on, but a trio of hardy divers take to the boards for Topical Budget's cameraman.

Britain's lido craze really took off in the 1930s, so the Essex resort was well ahead of the curve. Alas, the pool, situated right on the seafront at Westcliff, splashed its last in the 1980s, when it was concreted over to make room for a casino.